Cigarette lighter



May 28, 1935. B. DESS CIGARETTE LIGHTER Original Filed Oct. 19, 1932 j@i *V o L 4 j 26' gg 2 19 13 ff Z Z7 BY i l, l

INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS Patented. May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES CIGARETTELIGHTER Ben Chicago, Ill.

Application october 19, 1932, semi No. cassis Renewed March 2v, 192.5

4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to certain novel improvements in cigarettelighters, and has for its principal object the provision of an improvedconstruction which will be highly efiicient in use and 5 economical inmanufacture.

'I'his invention relates to a cigarette lighter for automotive vehicles.Cigarette lighters of the general type to which this devicepertainscomprise, broadly, a suction line, having a control valve therein, andan igniting element. In the use of these devices the valve controllingthe suction line is customarily manipulated with one hand by the vehicledriver to register one end of the cigarette with the suction line and toabut the other end of the cigarette against the igniting element.

As heretofore made these devices have necessitated that the driver againmanipulate either the suction line control valve or a switch to opencircuit to the igniting element, and in some cases to manipulate boththe valve and the switch, after the cigarette has been ignited. Thisconstruction of the prior art devices has necessitated a considerablemanipulation of the same and hasv required that the driver of thevehicle have at least one hand oi from the steering wheel for aconsiderable length of time in order to set the device in operation andonce to shut it oif. It is obvious, of course, that it is not desirablefor the driver to remove one hand from the steering wheel any oftenerthan is necessary, as doing so increases the likelihood of accident.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a newcigarette lighter which will eliminate the above-recited disadvantage ofthe prior art devices, and which will automatically cut oif the suctionline and open circuit to the heating element or igniter after thecigarette has been ignited, so that it is only necessary for the vehicledriver to keep one hand removed from the steering wheel of the vehiclelong enough to set the device in operation and to remove the ignitedcigarette therefrom.

Another object resides in the provision of a novel latching mechanismincluding a temperature responsive element which holds the suction linevalve open and the heating element circuit closed until after theigniter or heating element attains a predetermined temperature and thecigarette is ignited, whereupon the temperature responsive element ofthe latching mechanism automatically opens circuit to the heatingelement while at the same time releasing the suction line valve whichthen cuts off the suction line.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combina- (Cl. 21S-32) tion andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which: 5

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the new lighter, showing a part ofthe cigarette magazine casing broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view on line 3 3 10 of Fig. 2, showing apart of the magazine casing broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view on line 4 4 in Fig. 1, partly in section and partly inbottom plan; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational detail 15 view. v

In the drawing III generally indicates a cigarette magazine casing whichhas an open top over which is arranged a closure member II. While thismagazine casing may be made of any 20 suitable material such, forexample, as aluminum,

I prefer to make it of an electrically non-conductive material such as,for example bake1ite". Attached to the rear wall I2 of the magazinecasing III is a bracket I3 which carries a. clamp- 25 ing screw Il, andby means of this bracket and screw the device may be mounted on asuitable support such as the dash I5 of an automotive vehicle.Preferably a vertical row of sight openings I6 isprovided in the frontwall I1 of the 3o casing I0 so that the vehicle driver may determinewhen the supply of cigarettes I8 in the casing is running low and needsreplacement. The container has an open bottom so that the cigarettesfeed one at a time by gravity down onto 35 the cradle arms I9 which areattached to the rear wall I2 of the casing and project under the openbottom thereof.

There is formed on one side wall of the casing I0 a hollow boss in theform of a ring 20, and 40 opening into this boss 20 isthe tubular end 2lof a suction line (not shown in full) but adapted to be connected to theintake manifold of the vehicle motor in a conventional manner. A movablevalve element 22 is slidably mounted in the 45 boss 20 (Fig. 4) and thisvalve has a passage 23 formed therein. This passage 23 is shown out ofregistration with the end 2l of the suction line, in Fig. I, and thedevice is, of course, in this position of the parts, ineffective toignite the ciga- 50 rette I8 that is held in the cradle arms I9. Butassuming that the vehicle driver desires to light the cigarette I8 heldin the cradle arms I9; he then presses the valve element 22 inwardly, orto' the left (Fig. 1), which moves this valve element 55 There isattached to the valve element 22 a' latch arm 24 that extends across theback wall I2 of the casing, near the bottom thereof; this latch arm 24being slidably mounted in brackets 25 that project from the rear wall I2of the, casing. Formed in this latch arm 24 is a detent 26, and when thevalve element is slid to the left (Fig. 1) this latch arm 24, beingattached to the A valve element 22, is also slid to the left (Fig. l),

or to the right (Fig. 3), against the action of a spring arrangedthereon; and the detent 26 Y is thus engaged with anangled or hooked endportion 21 of a temperature responsive element 28 which is electricallyconnected to the heating element 29 that is insulatingly mounted on theleft hand sidewall of the casing I0, as seen from the front (Fig. 1).Thus the detent 26 is engaged with the hooked or angled end portion 21of the temperature responsive element 28 and the arm 24 is latched inits position of Fig. 4, thereby holding the inner end of the passage 23in the valve element 22 against one end of the cigarette held by thecradle arms I9; holding the passage -23 in registration with the the end2| of the suction line to keep the suction line open;

. and at the same time holding the other end of the cigarette in contactwith-the heating element 29, circuit through which is closed, bythe-engagement of detent 26 and angled end 2i of the temperatureresponsive element 28, as follows: From the battery 30, through aconductor 3l to a terminal post 32 which. is mounted on a conductivestrip 33 that is attached to the casing I0; and to the heating element29; through the strip 33 and heating element 29; through the temperatureresponsive member 28 and arm 24 to the ground which completes thecircuit;,the casing I0 and battery 3 9 being grounded as at 34 throughthe body of the vehicle.

YThe temperature responsive element 28 of the latching mechanism ispreferably of the bimetallic type and after the heating element has beenactive a predetermined length of time sufficient to ignite thecigarette, the hooked or angled end portion 21 of #the temperatureresponsive element 28 expands away from the detent 26 in the arm 24,thereby releasing the. arm 24, which is then returned by the tensionedspring 35 to the right (Fig. 4).

'I his movement of the arm 24 also moves the valve element 22, and thepassage 23 in the latter is thus moved out of registration with thetubular end'2 I 'of the suction line, which is thus cut oi; while at thesame time the disengagement of the hooked end portion 21 of thetemperature responsive element from the detent 26 of arm 24 opens thecircuit to the igniter or heating element 29. 'Ihe suction line is thusautomatically cut off and the circuit to the heating element openedafter the cigarette in the cradle arms I9 has been ignited, so that inthe use of the device it is merely necessary for the vehicle driver tomanipulate the valve element 22 and its arm 24 (to the left, Fig. 1) toopen the suction line and turn on the igniter, wait until the cigaretteis ignited, and then remove the ignited cigarette vfrom the cradle armsI9. l It is thus unnecessary for the vehicle driver in the use of thedevice to manipulate the parts back into position to close the suctionline-and open circuit to the igniter,

as has been necessary in the prior art devices,

and, therefore, the danger incidental to having one hand removed fromthe steering wheel of the vehicle is minimized by the use of the newdevice.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into e'ect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desireto avail myself of suchvariations and modications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention what I` claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a suctionline and a control valve therein including a movable element, a circuitincluding an igniting element, and a latching vmechanism for holding thesuction line open and the circuit closed a suiicient length of time toeiect the igniting of a cigarette, said latching mechanism including amember attached to the movable valve element and including atemperature-responsive element arranged in the circuit in closeproximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasablylatchable to said member by movement of the latter and said movablevalve element toward the igniting element.

2. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a cigarettesupport anda magazine from which the cigarettes may be fed one a't atime onto the support, an electric circuit lincluding an ignitingelement arranged at one end of the support, a suction line having acontrol valve therein arranged at the other end of the support the valveincluding an element movable toward and from the igniting element andhava passage formed therein for registration at one end with the suctionline and at the other end with one end of a cigarette disposed on thesupport, and a latching mechanism for holding the control Valve open andthe circuit closed a suicient length of time to eiiect the igniting of acigarette, said latching mechanism including a member attached to themovable valve element and including a temperature-responsive elementarranged in the circuit in close proximity to the igniting element andhaving a portion releasably latchable to said memberv by movement of thelatter and said valve element toward the igniting element. 4

3. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a cigarettesupport and a magazine from which the cigarettes may be fed one at atime onto the support, an electric circuit including an igniting elementarranged at one end of the support, a suction line having a controlvalve therein arranged at the otherI end of the. support and the valveincluding an element movable toward and from the igniting element andhaving a passage formed therein for registration at one end with thesuction line and at the other end with one end of a cigarette disposedon the support, a latching mechanism for holding the control valve openand the circuit closed element arranged in the circuit in closeproximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasablylatchable to said member by movement of the latter and said valveelement toward the igniting element, and a spring urging said member outof latching engagement with the temperature responsive element andurging the movable valve element in a direction away from the ignitingelement and into position to close the suction line.

4. A cigarette igniting device comprising the combination of a suctionline and a control valve therein including a movable element, a circuitincluding an igniting element, and a latching mechanism for holding thesuction line open 3 and the circuit closed a suicient length of time toeffect the igniting of a cigarette, said latchlng mechanism including amember attached to the movable valve element and including atemperature-responsive element arranged in the circuit in closeproximity to the igniting element and having a portion releasablylatchable to said member by movement of the latter and said movablevalve element toward the igniting element, and a. spring urging saidmember out of latching engagement with said temperature-responsiveelement and urging said valve element into position to close saidsuction line.

